A TV commercial is one of the most effective ways to reach out to new customers.
Even with so many other new ways of capturing audience attention from podcasts to corporate videos, traditional television (also known as linear TV) continues to have a massive reach among all platforms.
According to Nielsen, just under 97% of U.S. households have at least one TV that is regularly tuned into. Consequently, for many brands, it’s an ideal place to build awareness quickly—even with one ad.
However, if you’re preparing to run a TV commercial the first question you need to ask yourself is how long you want the final product to be.
While the reach of your traditional TV commercial may be wide, small-screen ad space can be extremely expensive.
Short commercials are an easy way to get impressions for less. On the other hand, longer TV ads give you the chance to experiment with the content and tell a story that will resonate with viewers.
All things considered, you can create an incredible commercial or a forgettable one at any duration.
The most important thing is how you use the time to catch the audience’s attention.
In this article, we’ll look at the history of the TV commercial, go over some great examples of TV ads, and explain how to get the most out of your television marketing budget with both short and long-duration commercials.
A Brief History of the TV Commercial
When a new advertising method becomes available, marketers usually start by applying the strategies they’re already using.
Just as early digital marketing strategies were heavily influenced by TV, the first TV commercials were closer to radio ads than the TV commercials we’re used to today.
Most early radio ads were one minute long, and this standard was naturally applied to TV.
Eventually, channels realized that they could get more money by cutting ad slots to 30 seconds and selling twice as many.
30-second commercials quickly became the standard, but 15-second and one-minute slots are still common.
More recently, social media platforms like YouTube and streaming platforms like Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, Disney, and Apple have transformed the advertising landscape.
On the streaming platforms, the ads are typically 15-60 seconds long.
Advertisement interludes, however, may last 60-70 seconds, which means viewers may sit through two or three ads at a time.
YouTube ads, though, can be as short as six seconds.
Additionally, advertisers can create what’s known as “skippable ads.” These ads are longer but even still, the viewers are given the option to skip them after 5 seconds.
To encourage the viewers to continue watching or click on the shorter ad, marketers are forced to develop new ways to pique viewers’ interest.
What’s the Ideal TV Commercial Duration in 2025?
The right length for a TV commercial depends on several factors including your product, brand image, goals, and the channel or platform you’re advertising on.
Emma O. – American voice actor
Long-form ads enable you to include more details, while the aforementioned six-second ads barely offer enough time for a slogan.
Before you can decide on an ad slot, you need to consider what you want the commercial to accomplish.
Are you hoping to show a product demo, like the Stranger Things Puzzle Tales game commercial below, voiced by Emma O.
Or maybe you plan to play clips from a customer testimonial?
If so, you’ll likely need 30—60 seconds—or even longer, as in the case with the Stranger Things ad—to cover this kind of in-depth content.
If you just want to maximize impressions or outreach, you can achieve those goals for a lot less money with a shorter ad slot.
Everything comes down to your ideas for the ad.
What About Word Count?
Voice artists typically speak about 100-150 words per minute, so you can estimate the maximum word count for a TV commercial voice over based on the length of the ad slot.
15 seconds are enough for roughly 30 to 40 words, 30 seconds can hold around 60 to 80, and a full-minute ad will give you up to around 150.
Of course, this also depends on pacing.
A great tool to help you get the word count down is the Voice Crafters’ voice over script calculator. This helps you determine how many words your ad includes whether spoken at a slow, fast, or normal pace.
You’ll also need to consider any pauses or transitions in the script.
It’s obviously important to get the timing right before you sign off on the written material or pass it on to a voice actor.
An overwritten commercial script will cause problems in the recording.
Justine H. – British Voice Actor
That said, and as the experienced British commercial voice actor Justine H. notes, there are certain steps that professional VO artists often take if faced with this challenge.
If the voice over artist is being directed rather than doing a self-recording, then Justine claims:
We can sort out script changes in a session; I am always very happy to suggest changes IF ASKED!
However, we often cannot change a script that’s been approved, so there are performance techniques we can use.
For example, to reduce the timing without reducing the script, Justine says:
It’s often helpful to take breath breaks and actually plan where to breathe, pause, and start each line with enough new energy to increase the pace effortlessly.
Or if it suits the tone, deliver much closer to the mic and reduce the enunciation so there’s less mouth shifting.
That said, you want to avoid affecting the performance or tone too much. Working it out is all part of the job!
Of course, these are challenges you’d prefer not to have to deal with in the first place, particularly if you’re on a tight budget.
An easy step to calculating timing before the voice actor settles into the recording booth is to first record yourself reading the script aloud.
Read at a comfortable pace. This will give you a better idea of the time constraints and even help you revise the script.
Some ideas look great on paper, but they don’t quite land when it’s spoken out loud.
The Growth of Short TV Commercials
In general, the average length of TV ads has gone down over time.
Brands want to make more impressions for less money, TV networks want to sell more ad slots, and consumers are more likely to respond to a larger number of shorter ads.
This is particularly true in the modern world, where attention spans have decreased dramatically in the smartphone era.
The rise of online content has accelerated this trend even further.
Web users have different preferences than TV viewers, and the ads themselves are often priced differently.
Online content tends to be shorter than traditional TV episodes, which naturally also leads to shorter ads.
Additionally, YouTube typically charges based on impressions rather than the length of the ad.
With a regular TV commercial, it doesn’t matter if the viewer is focused on your ad or getting a drink in the other room.
On the other hand, when you advertise on YouTube, you won’t have to pay if the viewer skips as soon as the option is available.
With that in mind, advertising strategies can be very different depending on the platform, audience, message, and more.
Segmentation
The growth of online video content opened up a critical new opportunity for marketers: segmentation.
Segmentation is the process of targeting ads to particular audiences.
Google, for example, offers a wide range of filters that marketers can use to reach specific audiences. These include:
Age
Gender
Parental status
Income
Interests
Search History
Segmentation is a crucial aspect of digital marketing because it enables you to pay for exactly what you need.
By narrowing down your audience, you can avoid wasting your ad budget on viewers who are unlikely to convert.
Modern TV has its fingers in this pie too.
Traditional television offers some targeting capabilities, such as advertising toys during a kids’ show or kitchenware products during the commercial break of a popular cooking program.
But while that kind of targeting has its limitations, many linear TV channels now also offer streaming or on-demand viewing options.
In these instances, your TV commercial will be targeted to specific households based on the viewer data the TV companies can gather.
This data can reveal the particular demographics, interests, and even the behaviors of any one household.
Are Shorter Ads More Cost-Effective?
In short, there are a number of factors contributing to the gradual reduction in commercial length.
Deciding whether to develop more short commercials or fewer long ones ultimately comes down to your evaluation of ad length vs. frequency.
For example, you might wonder whether it’s best to show a customer one 60-second ad, two 30-second ads, or ten six-second ads.
While there isn’t necessarily a “right answer” to that question, running short ads comes with its own set of challenges.
Even though this might make it easier for customers to remember the name of your brand, it will be tough to communicate a meaningful message in six or fifteen seconds.
It’s important to consider your target demographics when developing new campaigns and considering the impact of ad length.
Furthermore, customers often engage with a brand seven or more times before making their first purchase or even seeking out more information.
Short ad slots can be an effective way to get your foot in the door on a smaller budget, especially if you’re just trying to get your name out there.
Crafting a Short TV Commercial (15 Seconds or Less)
Short ads are all about inspiration and efficiency.
You need something that pops, and pops quickly.
With 15 seconds or less, each individual second counts that much more.
The video below is a great place to start if you’re looking for ideas.
You’ll see how some of the top global brands have approached ad slots just five seconds long.
Notice that these ads put a strong emphasis on the company name and other brand materials.
Geico, for example, leaves the brand name on the screen for the entire five seconds, using a static image along with a short voice over.
Marketers have shown a growing tendency to break the fourth wall, and Geico uses that technique to great effect as well.
“You can’t skip this Geico ad because it’s already over” is quirky, unconventional, and totally subverts expectations.
This commercial doesn’t say anything about Geico’s products, but it will stick in the viewer’s head more than most five-second ads.
With such limited time, you probably won’t be able to craft complex visual content, and your audience won’t have time to interpret that anyway.
It’s better to go with something simple, memorable, and straight to the point.
The same logic applies to voice overs.
When hiring someone to voice a short ad, you should look for an actor with a unique voice who can immediately pull attention to the ad.
Short TV ads can be incredibly lucrative when used to get the word out about new products, deep discounts, and other can’t-miss items.
For example, Apple doesn’t need much ad time to get people interested in the latest iPhone.
Sure, there are new technologies and features, but a sleek image and the Apple logo will be enough to drive millions in sales.
Similarly, it only takes a few seconds to say that you offer a particular product at a lower price.
In short, the most important aspect of a short ad is that it’s unique enough to engage viewers in a limited time.
Crafting a Longer TV Advertisement Script (30 seconds or longer)
Even though short ad slots can be cost-effective when used correctly, there are numerous benefits to paying more for longer ads.
For one, you’ll have more time to work with and more opportunities to put your unique qualities on display.
It’s also worth noting that you can often get twice as much ad time for less than twice the cost.
For example, if a 30-second ad costs $7,500 at a given station, you might be able to get a full minute for as little as $10,000.
It’s the same idea as buying bulk items at the grocery store to spend less money overall.
Of course, this is highly variable from one platform to another, so you’ll have to ask directly.
If you’re working with a longer time slot, you’ll have the chance to develop narratives and storylines that simply wouldn’t be possible in ten or fifteen seconds.
You don’t necessarily have to tell a full story, but you still need to think about ways to maximize the value of that extra time.
Sometimes, this is as simple as repetition.
As mentioned earlier, repetition is a key element of brand recognition.
The more times you see or hear something, the more memorable it becomes.
While a five- or ten-second ad will only give you time for a single mention, you could repeat key information at least two or three times in a 30-second slot.
The extra time could also enable you to cover product information including demonstrations, specifications, benefits, and testimonials.
Of course, just because you’re investing in a longer ad slot doesn’t mean your content needs to be serious or even product-driven.
The below Chevy commercial featuring experienced voice actor, Robert S. is a classic example of an ad that makes the most of its 60 seconds while still injecting humor.
There isn’t a perfect length for a TV commercial in 2024, but it’s still critical to consider timing when developing TV campaigns.
Once you know the goal and idea behind a particular commercial, you can start to think about the right ad length for that campaign
These tips will help you get the right ad slot for your content and make the most of your TV marketing budget in terms of both outreach and sales.
Did you like this article? Have any questions? Please feel free to comment below.
If you’re looking for a professional voice actor for your next TV commercial, check out the top selection of talent at Voice Crafters.
Simply post your project on our online platform. Make sure you request custom auditions based on your script (it’s free!) to really hone in on the voice that’s right for your brand and message.
Or if you need help casting the right expert for the project, don’t worry. Just drop us a line and we’ll be happy to help!
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